Paper handling mechanism for accounting machines



Jan. 28, 1941. w ANDERSON 2,229,833

PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 12, 1938 INVENTOR WALTER A.ANDEF2SON BY K 4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, Coma, assignor' to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 12, 1938, Serial No. 245,071

2 Claims. (01. Tor -135) that will accommodate these cards and hold.

them in place during the printing operations.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide suitable guiding and holding means to facilitate the rapid insertion and removal of the cards, and which is adjustable to accommodate the varying lengths and widths of the cards.

Another object of the invention is to make the guides sufi'iciently yielding to relieve the operator of having to force the cards into inserted position in the guides.

20 With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment 25 of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accounting machine having a paper carriage embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a detailed right side elevation of one of the improved card guiding and holding elements showing a card fully inserted therein, 35 Figure 3 is a perspective view thereof, and

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of a lateral edge guide used in combination with the guides shown in Figures 2 and 3.

o Carriage in general on work sheets fed around the platen 5. The

mechanism for tabulating the carriage from column to column and for returning it to its initial position is disclosed in Patent No. 2,194,270. The carriage is adapted to accommodate rear 55 fed paper such as a journal or ledger sheet 8,

and front fed cards such as I. The platen may be rotated manually by knobs 8 secured to each end of the platen shaft ,or may be rotated automatically during operations of the machine by a suitable feed pawl and ratchet wheel arrangement such as that disclosed in Patent No. 2,194,270.

Mechanism for guiding and holding front fed cards or short forms 10 Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the carriage side walls l2 have secured thereon upwardly extending arms l3 between which there is connected a square rod H extending across the entire carriage. Rod I4 is formed with an offset portion I5 to provide ample clearance for the operators hand between the rear structure and rod l4 during the insertion and removal of cards I. A stationary plate I 6 extends transversely across the entire carriage and is secured at its opposite ends to side walls [2, the upper edge of the plate lying just below the printing line of the platen 5. Brackets l'l, having square apertures i8 (Fig. ure 3), are slidably mounted on rod It on opposite sides of offset l5, and carry thumb screws [9 arranged to bear against the rod to hold the brackets in adjusted position. Each bracket l1 carries a depending guide-finger 20 pivoted on a rod 2! secured between the side walls of the brackets.- A pair of weak springs 22, connected between the upper ends of guide fingers 20 and a stationary pin 23 in each bracket 11, tensions the guide fingers counter-clockwise about rods 2!, and causes inturned flanges 24, formed on the lower ends of the fingers, to bear against stationary plate I6, as shown in Figure 2. The width of flanges 24 is suflicient to hold guide fingers 20 in spaced relation from platen 5 and plate l6, whereby a chute is formed to receive cards 1, guide fingers 20 forming the forward portion of the chute and platen 5, together with plate 16, forming the rear portion thereof. An adjustable bracket 25 (Figures 1 and 4) resembling bracket I1 is mounted on rod N to the left of the left hand guide finger 20, and has an extended left side wall 26 serving as a lateral edge guide for the cards.

Insertion of cards When a card is to be inserted in the chute, it is held by the operator in the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 1, and is inserted Then when the lower edge finger 20. Further downward insertion oi. the card causes it to follow finger 20 until its lower edge abuts flange 24, which serves as a stop. This fully inserted position is shown by dot-anddash lines in Figure 2. It will be noted that guide finger 2| bends the card slightly to create suificient friction to hold it in printing position.

If the resistance ofiered by the tendency of the card to remain fiat is greater than the resistance ofi'ered by springs '22, downward pressure on the card past the point 18 causes fingers 20 to yield to permit further insertion of the card without additional pressure by the operator. of the card reaches a point along guide fingers the tension of springs 22 overcomes the resistance offered by the card, and causes the card to fiex about the printing line of platen 5.

In practice, this construction has been found to greatly facilitate the quick and smooth insertion and removal of cards or varying thicknesses.

While the form or. mechanism herein shown and described'is admirably adapted to fulfill the. objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form oi embodiment herein disclosed. for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

20 below point 28,

from the platen, and strong enough to cause the guide to move towards the platen and thereby bend the card around the platen at the printing point, after the card is inserted.

2. In a machine of the class described having a paper carriage, a platen mounted in said carriage, a front reed card holding means including a guide pivoted on the carriage at a point above the platen and extending from a position above the printing point to a position below the printing point, and a spring means connected to the guide and to a stationary part 01' the carriage and having a. tension weak enough to enable the stillness of a card, when inserted quickly, to move the guide away from the platen, and st enough to cause the guide to move towards e platen and thereby bend the card around the platen at the printing point after the card is inserted.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

